Third season of the Young Tour Guides School opened at the National Centre RUSSIA
A ceremony marking the launch of the new season of the Young Tour Guides School of Russia, the National Centre RUSSIA's signature educational project for young people aged 12 to 17, was held on 11 October at the National Centre RUSSIA. The students received words of encouragement from distinguished guests and graduates of previous seasons, met their mentors, learnt more about the training programme and took part in festive activities.
The Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Natalia Virtuozova, noted that a good tour guide speaks about their country with love and inspiration, awakening genuine interest in others. According to her, this is precisely what the Young Tour Guides School of Russia teaches. As part of the project, participants not only expand their knowledge of the history, geography and achievements of their country and home region, but also learn to see people's lives behind the exhibits and unique worlds, traditions and characters behind local history references.
"When we created the RUSSIA EXPO at VDNH together with all 89 regions, we realised just how important a tour guide is. A guide is not merely someone who knows figures and facts, but above all a person who truly loves what they talk about. As the exposition was drawing to a close, Vladimir Putin said: 'Make sure you take the very best of the RUSSIA EXPO with you to the National Centre RUSSIA to preserve its legacy.' Here, we decided to expand our Young Tour Guides School. I would like to thank all the guides who stayed with us and became mentors. Today, we are already welcoming our third cohort ahead of the opening of the new 'Khorovod' exposition, dedicated to the diversity of our country. There is so much to discover here, especially for those who want to keep learning and share their knowledge of our incredible country with everyone else with great love. Congratulations to everyone on beginning their studies at the school!" said the Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Natalia Virtuozova.
The Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Anastasia Zvyagina, noted that the "Young Tour Guides School of Russia" project continues to grow and develop: a second day of classes is being added to the Sunday sessions, while leading museums across the country are joining the partnership. She also noted that branches of the Centre continue to open throughout Russia. A branch recently opened in Ryazan, while branches are already operating in the Primorye Territory, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
"In the new season, we are expanding the programme of the Young Tour Guides School of Russia: the students will attend classes twice a week, and we have reached cooperation agreements with leading museums. Participants will learn from representatives of the country's finest cultural institutions and draw on their experience. We are building a large community: we want the students of the Young Tour Guides School and the Young Journalists School to become one community, get to know one another, make friends and enrich each other with knowledge and experience. The first event that will allow the students to experience this and demonstrate their professional skills will be the 'Inventing the Future' Symposium, attended by representatives of more than 100 countries. It is important to us that the students improve their skills and learn to tell international guests about Russia," Anastasia Zvyagina noted.
The Director of the VDNH Department for Museum, Exposition, Educational and Tour Activities, Natalia Zadvornaya, shared her own experience of working on expositions and emphasised that tour guides determine the success of any exposition project.
"A tour guide is a conduit for meaning. The knowledge your guest takes away depends on the dialogue you build with them. I have created expositions myself, and I know that you do not always immediately understand how they will resonate with people. But when you see guides begin working with an exposition, bring their own intonation and find their own approaches to telling its story, you realise that the exposition has succeeded. Every guide tells the story in their own way, processing the knowledge themselves and passing it on to visitors. I wish you a wonderful season of study, during which you can absorb these meanings, pass them on and take genuine pleasure in communicating with your guests. VDNH will be delighted to take part in this wonderful project: we will be happy both to welcome you and to visit you," Natalia Zadvornaya said.
The host of the television programme "Russia's Unknown Routes" on the Russia-Culture TV channel, Maxim Cardoso, whose team has travelled across almost the entire country over the past five years — from the Far East and Siberia to the Urals and the Caucasus — offered the students words of encouragement and emphasised why it is important to love what you talk about.
"A great deal depends on who tells people about their home region. When someone loves it, knows it and delves into its history, it is immediately apparent — their eyes light up. And you fall in love with that republic, that territory, that city or that village. The profession of a tour guide is incredibly important. I am certain that in this space you are not only getting to know one another and acquiring basic knowledge, but also learning to love our incredible, vast Motherland — Russia. It is simply beautiful: over these years of travel, I have realised that there is no country in the world better than ours. When you see these regions, seas and people, your heart sings, and I believe you have it all ahead of you! This is not only about knowledge and study — it is about love for the Motherland!" Maxim Cardoso said.
The "Young Tour Guides School of Russia" project ensures continuity between generations: the experience of graduates and mentors is passed on to those just beginning their journey in tour guiding. Words of encouragement from the project's graduates to the newcomers were an important part of the season-opening programme.
During the interactive programme, the students took part in games and answered quiz questions prepared by branches of the National Centre RUSSIA. They tested their knowledge of the country's regions in the "Place on the Map" game, while the "Voices of Russia" interactive activity allowed them to feel part of a united community. The celebration concluded with "The Beautiful Faraway" flash mob and the traditional "Khorovod of Unity" ("Unity Round Dance"), which strengthened their sense of unity and belief in a shared harmonious future.
The "Young Tour Guides School of Russia" is an original project of the National Centre RUSSIA aimed at providing career guidance to schoolchildren. It grew out of the school of the same name at the International RUSSIA EXPO and has since become a large community uniting more than 100 children and mentors from across the country. Branches of the Centre in the Krasnoyarsk and Primorye Territories and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra have joined the project.
During the new season, which will last more than six months, the students will learn and refine their tour-guiding skills, work on their own scripts and routes, and then demonstrate their knowledge and abilities to real visitors to the National Centre RUSSIA expositions. At the end of the season, participants will receive certificates of completion.
Event photobank
Young residents of Moscow and the Moscow Region aged 12 to 17 now have an additional opportunity to discover first-hand how exciting a career as a tour guide can be.
Applications for the new season of the National Centre RUSSIA's original project, the Young Tour Guide School of Russia, close on 20 September.
The Young Tour Guides School at the National Centre RUSSIA helps schoolchildren find their voice, master the art of public speaking and take their first step towards a profession.
